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Thursday, May 2, 2013

History Of The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby {a.k.a. “The Run for the Roses”} is a Southern tradition that has taken place every year since 1875. Every year on the first Saturday in May Southerners and people from all around gather at Churchill Downs to watch the first leg of the US Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby.

Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. organized the Louisville Jockey Club with the intent of raising money to build a quality racing facility. The track would become known as Churchill Downs, named for John Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the track.

On May 17, 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was held, with a field of 15 horses and a crowd of around 10,000 people. Under Jockey Oliver Lewis, a colt, Aristides, won the inaugural Derby.

Every since the first running of the Kentucky Derby, people gather annually on the first Saturday in May to watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports”. If you are a spectator be prepared to: wear a beautiful hat, have a mint julep in hand, hear “My Old Kentucky Home”, and enjoy “the fastest two minutes in sports”! Enjoy the races...and a mint julep!